Henshin
by KaniShikamaru
Summary: A nameless, unpredictable horror has come to Chikyuu. And that horror is also known as Vegeta's younger brother.
1. Prologue: The First Victim

Prologue: The First Victim

Kani: This is my first DBZ fic! I expect to get flames, since I've see very little of the actual anime, but this fic has been bothering me, and I just HAD to post it!!!

Disclaimer: If I owned DB/DBZ/DBGT, would I be sitting here begging you to review my pitiful fan fiction? And why would I write fan fiction about something I owned?

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"F-Father! Wh-what happened? Where's...where's _Kaasan?"_

I slowly open my eyes and am greeted by the slightly blurry but worried face of my half-breed son. "T-Trunks?" It was one of the few times I referred to him by his given name. "What are—" Then I remember. _Totoma__ Henshin._

"Onna!" Ignoring the stinging that radiates through my broken ribs, I leap to my feet. I shove the light haired brat out of my path and run. I'm too worn out from the fight to fly.

Trunks is following me...I can sense it.

_The onna...where is she? _Dread begins to rise within me, and it's all I can do not to voice my worries. Trunks is asking his annoying questions again. I can barely hear him.

But just when I'm about to give up hope and succumb to the knowledge that Henshin didn't kill—merely _kidnapped—my mate, I caught sight of something lying in a shallow crater near the Capsule Corp mansion._

_Blue hair..._

_No... _My legs carry me as far as to the something's side before buckling completely under me. I stare in pure horror at what I see before me.

Bulma's clothes are torn and soaked thoroughly with blood. Her arms and legs are twisted at a strange angle. Her head is turned towards me, but tangled, crimson-stained blue hair covers the face. I lower a shaking hand, brushing the sky-colored strands from her eyes. I couldn't help but let my face contort in sudden agony at what I see.

"K-Kaasan...?" I hear Trunks whimper behind me.

Strangely enough, my mate's face...is still untouched. Just as perfect and whole the day I'd met—

_I-ie..._ I was in complete shock. _He paralyzed me...then he killed..._

Sudden wrath flows through my veins. I tremble as the awful yet _powerful feeling fills me. My head spins in a feeble effort to keep my chi level down as I remember that Trunks is still behind me._

But the pressure is too much. I throw my head back, yelling in anger. Chi swirls around me, and I power up to Super Saiyajin. Then SSJ2. Curses come into my throat unbidden, and I have no choice but to shout them at the sunset sky.

"Curse you, Kami!" I howl, barely aware of what I'm saying. "H-how could you do this?!" Power rushes off me in waves, so quickly that I can't control it. "How could you let that...that..._yaro...kill my mate?! She didn't deserve this! She didn't deserve to die!" My bare fists clench painfully tight, causing my nails to cut into my palms. Blood trickles from my hands, but I'm too far gone to know or care. "I was the one...who destroyed countless alien races and planets!" My throat is going sore, causing me to choke as I scream. "I deserved to die, Kami! Why didn't you kill me?"_

Chi flows from me, leeching away my strength like water. My energy spent, I collapse to my knees and stay there for the longest time, hanging my head and shivering all over.

A light footstep sounds beside me. I wince slightly, but recognize the chi signature as Trunks'. He's crying. I know it.

"Father?" he whispers tentatively. "I-is Kaasan..._dead?"_

Blood floods my mouth, gushing up from the tear in my lungs. I spit it out, too exhausted to reply.

The brat sniffles. "P-Papa?"

At the sound of that name—that confounded _ningenname—my head snaps up. I turn to face the boy ever-so-slowly. I must have been giving the half-breed a death glare, because he shrinks back._

"D-don't...you..._ever...call me that," I hiss, too numb with pain to care that I'm hurting him. "And what do you __think happened? There was a battle here."_

Trunks slowly glances around, seeing that what I say is true...all too true. The signs of combat are everywhere; craters from wayward ki blasts, a huge, smoldering, unsightly wound blasted into the side of the Capsule Corp mansion, a thinning fog of gray smoke, and worst of all, a faint reading of a departed ki signature. I wince at its familiarity.

Trunks recognizes it too, and looks at me with questioning, tear-filled eyes.

"It's...Bulma," I rasp brokenly. "Her soul's gone."

The brat tears up again. "What else...Father?"

_No. No, onna...you can't mean that… _I lower my gaze to Bulma's body, my heart hammering so hard in my chest that I think that it will burst out and I'll die...

"She doesn't want to come back to life."

"Wh-_what?" I hear him sob._

_Don't cry anymore, boy...please..._ "I can...still sense what she thinks...through our bond." I slowly gather the limp body in my arms. "She wants to go..."

"Iie!" Trunks screams. I feel his chi increase. "No, Kaasan! Come _back!"_

The shock is too much for him. He breaks down and cries as he flashes to SSJ.

But he only remains at the level for a moment. His shock is too great.

And so, for the matter, is _mine._


	2. Explanations

1 Explanations

Kani: In case you don't know, the last chapter was in Vegeta no ouji-sama's (yeah, I know...no one calls him that anymore, but whatever) POV.

**embyr81788****: Thanks! How'd I get my fics in italics? W'll...I saved the chapters in HTML format before uploading. So...**

**dbz**** babi gal 4476****: I take it you liked this fic then, ne?**

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It had been three days since Bulma's death, and the funeral was to be the next day. Trunks was still stunned by most of what had happened; he didn't talk much. The light haired boy spent most of his time alone; either locked in his room or outside—too shocked to cry much. He mostly practiced his aim with ki blasts or lay on his bed staring at the ceiling. There wasn't much else to do and Trunks didn't feel like going to school. His father didn't seem to care, anyway.

The dark ouji-sama was also silent. Vegeta's injuries from his fight with the mysterious "Totoma Henshin" had mostly healed and—since Mr. and Mrs. Briefs decided to let him and Trunks stay at the mansion—he spent lonely hours training in the gravity room. And plotting revenge. And reminding himself that he would have to tell Kakarotto/Goku about what had been happening sooner or later.

Neither one of them was looking forward to the confrontation they knew was coming...

****

"Kakarotto? What are _you doing here?"_

"And good afternoon to you too, Vegeta." The younger Saiyajin couldn't resist a grin. His smile abruptly vanished after a moment. "You haven't come over to spar for the last few days, so..."

"Hn." Vegeta nodded. "I was meaning to go over later today."

Then Goten opened his mouth. "Trunks-kun hasn't been in school for two days, either!" the boy exclaimed. "C-can I go see him...Vegeta-sama?"

The ouji-sama felt like slapping himself. _Of course.__ School. It had completely slipped his mind... "The brat's in his room," he snapped, gesturing over his shoulder._

After Goten had gone, Goku glanced back at the shorter Saiyajin. "How did it happen?"

"Nani?" The spiky haired male arched an eyebrow.

Coal-black eyes darkened more, if that was possible. _"Bulma,_ Vegeta," he said, his voice tense. "How...did this happen?"

Vegeta glared up at Goku. It wasn't an angry glare, although it was meant to be. It was a careful stare, one full of the fear and apprehension of a cornered animal. "How the hell'd you know?"

"She's my oldest friend, Vegeta. We do...or _did _have what you might call a 'bond'. Just in a different sense than yours." Goku's face held a rare serious expression. "What _happened?"_

_Sugoi__.__ Just great...!__ The former ouji's ever-present scowl deepened. He didn't want to tell the Saiyajin about all that had been happening because he wanted to handle it alone, but then again, pride had been the reason Bulma had died in the first place... "Come with me, Kakarotto."_

****

"Trunks-kun? Are you awake?"

Sniffling, the violet haired boy raised his head from his pillow. Blue eyes widened at who he saw. "G-Goten-kun! Does...Father know you're here?"

"Hai." Goten nodded as he sat on the bed. "Tousan's here, too." The demi-Saiyajin carefully examined his friend's tear-streaked face. There were dark circles under the older boy's eyes. "Were you...crying, Trunks-kun?"

"I'm okay..." The half-Saiyajin nearly choked on his own lie. "I-I mean..." Trunks made an effort to hide his tears, but only managed to break down completely. Alarmed—after all, Trunks was usually more stoical—Goten threw his arms around his best friend.

"Trunks..." The Son boy swallowed back his own tears. "You don't need...to pretend nothing's wrong. We...we all know."

"Wh-why?" Trunks whispered brokenly. "Why did _Kaasan _have to be the one to die? Father hasn't talked to me at all...I...I still don't understand what happened!" He sank into Goten's comforting grasp, his tears wetting the younger one's shirt. "If I hadn't been in school, I could've helped Father fight...and then I would've known what this was all about..."

In bits and pieces, the whole story came out from a very disturbed Trunks. _And _he's _the one usually comforting me... "I'm...I'm sorry, Trunks-kun," the black haired hybrid said softly. "Sorry I didn't get here sooner."_

"Iie." Trunks pulled away from his best friend's embrace. "I-it's okay. I'll be okay, Goten-kun." The light haired boy turned a pleading glance towards Goten. "Don't tell...Father about this...please? He hates it when I cry." _He says it's a weakness..._

"Sure." The younger boy nodded. The two were silent for a moment. "Trunks-kun?"

"Y-yeah?"

"Tousan said that Bulma-san...doesn't want to come back to life even if we try it with the dragonballs. I-is that...true?"

Trunks clenched his teeth. "That's what...Father said." Apparently, he had cried all of his tears, but Goten hadn't. The Son boy sobbed inadvertently.

"I'm going to miss...Bulma-san, Trunks-kun..."

"Goten-_kun...!" It was Trunks' turn to hug his best friend._

The two hybrids stayed together for the longest time, Goten crying; yet both comforted each other.

****

The open hill country that Vegeta and Goku had claimed as their sparring grounds was several hours away from Capsule Corp. If the place hadn't been marred with craters, rocky hills, cliffs, and fallen trees, it might have been called beautiful. Before the two Saiyajins had taken possession of the open area, the grass had been a thick, dark green; the kind that tickled underfoot, but now it grew in thin patches. The trees had been high and thick, their trunks nearly impenetrable.

Impenetrable, that is, until Vegeta had flattened them with a single blast of ki.

The countryside had also been empty and peaceful, but was now often filled with shouts and explosions. After all, the last person to live there had died long ago.

Voices, even if kept low, still managed to echo through the hills.

"On Vegeta-sei, there was a minority-elite class of Saiyajins called _Henshins_. _They possessed blinding speed, the power to manipulate the chi of others, to mimic any attack used against them, to suppress their own chi even at their highest levels, and to blend in with their surroundings."_

"What does that have to do...with what happened to Bulma?" Goku questioned as he and Vegeta touched down, standing opposite one another.

The spiky haired Saiyajin growled under his breath. "The yaro who killed her...he was a Henshin. That's why...I couldn't beat him."

Goku clenched his fists as Vegeta turned away and slowly walked to the edge of the cliff they had landed on. He followed the older one carefully.

"You know this..." Goku scowled. "How?"

A flaming ball of chi was forming on the ouji-sama's tightly-clenched fist. He grit his teeth as Goku repeated his question.

"He was my brother!" Vegeta spat as he whirled around, the chi around his hand swiftly brightening. "How could I _not?"_

_"What?!" _the black haired Saiyajin yelped, taking a step back with his eyes on the chi. "But weren't _we the only two Saiyajins...?!"_

The ouji menacingly advanced on the taller one, his anger steadily increasing. "Do you ever lack questions, Kakarotto?" he hissed. "I thought the bastard was dead! He was on Vegeta-sei when it was destroyed!" The former prince met Goku's perturbed gaze. "In earth years, he would be your age."

"Man..." Goku shook his head, still warily watching the ball of chi. "I think...I understand most of this now. But...why didn't you tell us this...before?"

Something within the short ouji-sama visibly snapped.

"Damn you, Kakarotto!" he screamed, raising his hands and releasing his chi. Goku was almost too stunned too avoid the blast, but managed to spring into the air, letting the attack fly harmlessly below him.

"Do you think I would have _wanted _to talk about what he put me through?" Vegeta growled, wafting into the sky until he was eye-level with his former arch-rival. "He was younger than me, and yet so much _stronger!_ If my planet hadn't been destroyed before my brother came of age, my father would have made him the ou-sama of our people—in my place!"

"..." Goku was unsure of what to say. "Oh." He averted his eyes from the older Saiyajin's wrath-black glower. "I'm sorry."

"You're _sorry?" _Vegeta snorted, clenching his fists. "Pity is something I desire less than another beating at the hands of Freeza," He narrowed his eyes and—without warning—vanished with great speed. It was obvious that what the dark prince had just said wasn't something he wanted to talk about, so Goku decided to play along and spar. He concentrated, and, feeling the shorter one's ki signature shooting behind him, whirled around, catching Vegeta in the chest with a kick that would have killed a normal human._ So you want to play, do you, Kakarotto? _With a grunt, the Saiyajin fell back.__

_Enough... _Forcing down his chi, the ouji let out a shout as he flashed into a Super Saiyajin. Goku did the same.

"You sure you're up to this, Vegeta?" he asked almost teasingly, bringing his fists up defensively. "I mean-"

"Be quiet. Just _come at me,"_ the elder SSJ hissed, his voice biting.

A tight smile crossed Goku's face. "All right!" He leaped forward, lashing out with a second kick. Deftly blocking it, Vegeta returned with a chi blast.

"Ha!" The tall Super Saiyajin brought his hands together, deflecting with an attack of his own. "That all you got?"

"Hn." The prince smirked, knowing that Goku was attempting to arouse his mostly-dormant anger. "What do you think, Kakarotto?" He shot forward, continuing his barrage. Goku's jaw tightened as he prepared his next attack.

A flurry of kicks, punches, blocks, and powerful bursts of ki summarized the next seemingly-countless moves. With each blow, Vegeta's frustration increased. He couldn't break through the younger Saiyajin's defensive barrier, as usual, and it was driving it crazy.

As the two SSJs fought, they talked. Or yelled at one another, rather. It would have seemed strange to anyone who might have seen them fight and hold a conversation at the same time, but Vegeta and Goku were used to it. They often ended up unintentionally pouring their minds out to one another as they sparred.

"I thought you were stronger than this, Kakarotto!"

"Heh...never underestimate me, Vegeta..."

"Hn...a lesson I learned long ago. Too bad that _you have yet to learn the same!"_

That was how they had become such close friends, by talking together so much. Although they—at least Vegeta—never would have admitted it.

One last blow threw the two opponents apart. Goku took the opportunity to gather his ki. "Tired yet, Vegeta?"

"Iie!" the ouji-sama exclaimed. "Show me what else you have."

_All right, then... _"Ka-"

_I expected this much. _Twin balls of energy formed around Vegeta's gloved hands, growing bigger each second. _It's not like I didn't train for this..._

"Me-"

For a brief moment, the dark prince faltered. _Would it be so wrong to let the baka kill me now?_

"Ha-"

_I could waste my ki...and let him kill me..._

"Me-"

The whole world seemed to hold its breath as Goku began to release the Wave.

"Ha!"

_Or not.__ The ouji also attacked. "Hai!"_

Opposing forces of chi clashed, resulting in an explosion that could have been seen from the moon. Vegeta cursed under his breath as he felt his energy depleting. _I can't...keep this up... Sweat trickled down his face as his chi blast became noticeably smaller. Then, so suddenly he almost didn't believe it, the flow of energy from his hands stopped. _Wh__-___what? The prince had no time to move as the Kamehameha Wave streaked towards him, plowing into his chest. _Damn!__

Vegeta dropped out of Super Saiyajin and fell from the sky, a pained cry ripping itself free of his throat before his limp body seemed to splinter on contact with the rocky hill terrain.

_Oh boy... _Goku flashed back to his normal Saiyajin state as he shot towards where the older Saiyajin had fallen. "Vegeta! Are you all right?" he yelled although his torso, which ached from a series of vicious blows, protested loudly.

The dark prince forced open his eyes. "Leave...me alone, Kakarotto," he mumbled.

"Leave you alone? Why would I do that? You could die!"

"And yet I don't seem to care!" Vegeta started up, but fell back with a moan as his chest convulsed. "Get _away _from me."

The taller male was taken aback by the statement. As unintelligent as he sometimes seemed to be, Goku knew when Vegeta wanted to talk, and when to leave the Saiyajin prince alone. For some reason, this was one of the times when he felt compelled to stay.

"C'mon, Vegeta," he urged. "I can take..."

"Forget it! I'm all right." With a remarkable amount of willpower, the shorter one somehow managed to stand. His shoulders shivered. "Go."

"But-"

Goku arched an eyebrow in surprise as the Saiyajin wafted into the air. "I'm going back to Capsule Corp."

"What are you going to tell Trunks when he sees you hurt?"

"Hn. The brat won't ask. I'm going to do some more training."

"Where?"

"Why should you care?" Vegeta bristled.

The stronger Saiyajin scowled. "Because he's your son! Does he know what happened? Does he know exactly what Totoma did...or _who_ a Henshin is?" The prince was unresponsive. Goku moved forward slightly. "Shouldn't he at least _know _what's going on? I _know _he'll want to help."

_That's what I'm afraid of, _the black haired Saiyajin thought dryly.

There was a pause. "Bulma _was_ bonded to him, too, you know."

Vegeta spun suddenly, grabbing the front of Goku's gi tightly and pulling the younger one close. He grit his teeth against something burning at his eyes. The last thing he wanted was for the "third-class baka" to do would be to see him cry at the mention of his former mate's name. "I don't want his help," he growled. "He's not strong enough...to deal with Totoma...especially if _I wasn't." The spiky haired Saiyajin's grip loosened slightly and he looked away, seeming strangely _timid_ for some reason... "I don't want him to get hurt...too."_

_No wonder... _Goku sighed. "I...understand."

Vegeta released him forcefully. "Good."

"Mind if I...train _with_ you?"

The dark prince couldn't resist a smirk. "A third-class baka like you? _Please."_ He rose higher into the sky. "Try to keep up."

Goku grinned. "Hn."

Together they flew with blinding speed back to Capsule Corp.


	3. Guess Who's Back?

2 Guess Who's Back?

Kani: I know very little about the Z universe, so for anyone who cares, this story is set a little while after the Buu Saga, but before Bra would have been born (if her mother hadn't been killed). Oh and I also rewrote chapter 2.

**Obsidian Blade:** Thank you!!!!! Your fic (Dangerous Bond) is one of the best romance stories I've read.

**Warrior of Silence:** Wow...thanks. I'm not used to getting so much praise. ^_^ _A Heart of Stone_ is great, too. ^_~ Trunks angst gets me every time.

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~In the Mirai universe~

_A flash of lightning illuminates a tall, violet haired young man. In that split second it is seen that he is holding a sword. A broken sword._

_The teenager's clothes are torn, his jacket is gone, and he is bleeding profusely in several places. Crimson mingles with rain, dripping onto the two motionless machine bodies on the ground below him._

_He had finally destroyed the android twins, the defeat of which he _should _be proud. But instead of rejoicing in the fact that he had avenged his sensei, his fellow warriors, and all the innocent people who had gotten involved, the young man kneels in the mud of the abandoned graveyard. He's crying._

_"Mom..." The word, barely audible, slips from his parched mouth. The teenager lays his broken sword on the wet gravestone and closes his eyes. "I did it." He shuts his eyes against further tears. "I killed them for you."_

_Yes. More than anyone else, he had done it to avenge his mother, whom the androids had murdered during their last slaughtering spree._

_"I killed them for you, and Gohan-sensei, and all those other people...and the warriors of the past." His tone rises as thunder crashes around him. "I would have done it sooner but I couldn't. I thought the Super Saiyajin level alone could stop them...that I just needed more skill. But I realized I needed to reach the higher levels...to get more power...only _after _they killed you..."_

_The wind has begun to rise, carrying with it signs of the oncoming tempest. With tears still streaming from his eyes, the teenager retrieves his sword and turns away from the battleground. High above, he stops to look at the land below for one last time._

_An odd battleground, it is. Ironic how the graveyard was the key to forcing up the reserves of the teenager's power._

_And ironic...that he killed the androids on a dark day like this._

_It was almost identical to the time, weather, and place where he had found his sensei's body...seemingly so long ago..._

_And then the young man flies away, calling upon his remaining power to push himself to his fastest._

_He knows he is not to see this place again._

****

~Flashback of Chibi Trunks~

_The graveyard is just as decayed and cold as the corpses buried within it. Everything in and around the cemetery seems to be in the same decrepit state; the same yet _different _shades of black, brown, and gray._

_All of this Trunks apathetically observes as he watches his mother's coffin being lowered into the open grave. Tears rip at his eyes, like claws of some invisible beast trying to escape its cage._

_Besides a whole bunch of workers from Capsule Corporation, the entire gang turned out for the funeral—even Piccolo—to pay their respects. After all, if it hadn't been for Bulma, the quest that brought them all together never would have been presumed..._

_But the person who naturally holds the violet haired boy's gaze was his father._

_Vegeta stands a few meters away from the rest of the group, his arms crossed over his chest. Trunks would have gone to him, but something in the ouji's unreadable expression stops him. That was what bothers the boy most—the fact that, although he and his father share a bond, it is a very tattered one through which little could be sensed._

_Trunks sighs__. If he was more experienced in mental examination like Goku, the boy would have detected the smallest ache; the beginning of a massive agony kept well-hidden for years. At this moment though, he feels nothing through their link, which contradicted how he himself is feeling. His mind is full to overflowing._

_An inexplicable yearning wells up inside the small warrior. He wishes Vegeta isn't as egotistical as he is. In spite of the fact that Trunks is used to the prince's arrogance, he still wishes he could hug his father just _once. _He wishes he could call the ouji "Tousan," like Goten did, instead of "Father." The boy wants to cry without his tousama telling him how weak he was acting. He wants to die and get to the after life, not caring whether Lord Enma sends him to heaven of hell._

_But most of all, Trunks wants to learn who exactly this "Totoma Henshin" is._

_Who is Totoma Henshin? Another Saiyajin? If so, how'd he survive when Freeza attacked Vegeta-sei? And why couldn't Trunks sense Totoma's chi? What does he want with Chikyuu-sei? Why did he come, anyway? And, most importantly, _why the hell did he killed Bulma?!

_Abruptly, the young hybrid sniffles, instinctively rubbing an arm across his eyes before he realizes he's crying. Trunks didn't wanted to_—_he even promised himself he wouldn't—__but the tears still come. After a noiseless battle between him and his grief, the demi-Saiyajin finally allows himself to weep, but silently. He isn't in the mood to be yelled at for displaying a "weakness."_

****

~Chibi Trunks POV~

The funeral was over, for which I was glad. I didn't think I could have borne crying another second. Father was leaving the graveyard, so I hurried after him; but I could barely see. It was hard to run and try not to cry at the same time.

"F-Father! W-wait for me!"

I was so stunned that I froze when he actually stopped and turned towards me. But his face emitted only disgust. "Hurry up, boy," he snapped.

I stepped forward once, twice, then followed him more slowly.

"Vegeta."

This time Father didn't stop until Goku-san appeared right in front of him.

"What do you want, Kakarotto?" he questioned tiredly.

The tall Saiyajin drew my father aside, speaking so softly that even _I _couldn't hear. I waited impatiently. All I wanted to do was to get home, go to sleep, and maybe forget what had happened in the past few days...

"You _sure _you want to do that, Vegeta?" I finally heard Goku say.

Father nodded slightly. "I have enough to worry about with my brother on Earth," he said quietly, although I sensed a fierce undertone through our link. He turned as if to go, but then I heard him speaking to me mentally.

_//Brat.//_

_//Huh?// _I blinked twice, stunned for the second time that day. Father rarely spoke to me telepathically, if he spoke to me at all. _//Y-yes, Father?// _I managed finally.

_//You're going home with Kakarotto.//_

_//Wh-what? Why? I...wanna go home...with you...//_

My father turned halfway towards me. _//I know,// he replied. __//But there are many things afoot that must be taken care of. And you will not _be a part of it. You're staying with Kakarotto until it's all over.//__

_//B-but...Father...// _No wonder he's talking through our link. He doesn't want me making a scene. Even so, I'm losing my grip. I know I'm going to cry again... _//Papa...//_

That did it. I had lapsed back into my old habit of calling him "Papa" yet _again; _something that had been deemed unacceptable quite a while ago_._ Father scowled. _//His first brat will bring your things over later.//_

_//But...// _I glanced towards Goku-san. Not hearing our mental conversation, he was awaiting my response. I turned back to my otousama. "I don't want to go," I whispered.

"Too bad." His voice was the cold, princely one he used when I was in trouble. The words only began to sink in when he took to the sky.

"Father!" Tears spilled over my shivering face. I was a pathetic sight, I knew it, but I was too broken inside to stop. "Father!" I started to run after Father's disappearing form, but a pair of strong arms pulled me back.

"Easy, Trunks-kun," I heard Goku say as he carried me to where the other Sons waited. "You're coming home with us."

_No! _I want to scream. _No, no, no, no!! I have to help Father! He can't do this alone! He isn't the only one who wants revenge on this 'Henshin' guy! _But all that came from my lips was a desiccated, "Iie..."

Goku-san handed me to Gohan, who put me in the backseat of their skycar before climbing in himself. Goten got in beside his brother and closed the door. Up front, Chi-Chi-san and Goku-san also got inside and sat down.

As we flew towards my best friend's mountain home, I drew my knees up to my chest, wrapping my arms around them protectively. The car was quiet, for which I was glad, and I occupied myself by staring heatedly at the back of Chi-Chi-san's chair.

_Shimatta__...shimatta... I thought over and over. I knew I wasn't supposed to swear—Kaasan had told me not to do it—but sometimes I did it anyway. Besides, anyone who lived around someone as irate as Father _did _pick up the occasional curse._

Just thinking about Father made me angry. Why didn't he want me to help him? Was the person who had killed Kaasan _that dangerous? Well...obviously. Otherwise, my dad wouldn't have left me with "Kakarotto and his demon spawn."_

My jaw tightened as I remembered finding Kaasan dead. It seemed that whenever I thought about it, I wanted to go SSJ2, although I never did. But at the moment I didn't care. I clenched my fists and shut my eyes, allowing the rage I felt to consume me.

Suddenly, I felt a gentle hand on my shoulder. Jumping slightly, I glanced up. Gohan was watching me. I must have been glaring, because he swiftly looked away. Goten shot me a pitying glance, but I ignored it.

_I don't know why, Father, but something tells me that you won't be able to beat the "Henshin." And Goku-san won't either._

Lowering my head to my knees, I shut my eyes. The low hum of the skycar was very soothing, I had to admit. But before I dropped off, I made a promise.

With tears burning my eyes, I swore that I'd be the one to avenge Kaasan's death.

Little did I know what that promise was going to cost me.

****

When we got to the Sons' small home, I was told that I'd be sharing Goten's room. I nodded numbly before following the black haired demi-Saiyajin down the hall to his bedroom.

Goten-kun showed me the dark blue sleeping bag I would be sleeping in during my stay and some of his extra casual clothes I could wear until Gohan could bring mine over. When I didn't say anything, he looked me over cautiously.

"D-do you want to play video games after you change, Trunks-kun?" the boy said awkwardly. "I just got a couple of new ones, and..."

"Thanks, but no thanks, Goten-kun," I said raspily. "I want...to go back to sleep."

Even though he was only six years old, Goten took the cue. "Okay."

****

_"Kyaaa!!"_ Fear-filled azure eyes snapped open as swiftly as I would allow. I was breathing hard, and found myself staring at the ceiling. Well, not exactly at the _ceiling. _Goku, Chi-Chi, Gohan, and Goten were all standing cautiously nearby, and their faces were extremely concerned.

I slowly moved myself into a sitting position, lifting a hand to my throbbing head and trying to forget what I had just dreamed.

No one spoke, not even after I regained control of my breathing. I wondered why, but realized after an uncomfortable moment that I was in Super Saiyajin Two mode. With a small gasp, I quickly powered down. It was only then that Goten felt safe to approach me.

"Are you all right, Trunks-kun?" he asked tentatively.

I swallowed hard and shook my head. Suddenly I felt a tear trickle down my face. I reached up to touch it, but then I remembered what I had dreamed that had caused me to go SSJ2 in the first place.

"Father," I whispered.

Goku and Gohan exchanged confused glances. Gohan spoke first. "What're you talking about, Trunks?"

The tears were falling for no obvious reason. I barely noticed them as I hurriedly explained my nightmare. "I saw...Father in my dream, and he was getting beat...bad!" I grit my teeth. "I-I don't know why...b-but I think he's hurt for real..." On a wild impulse, I jumped to my feet, glad that I had slept in one of Goten's gis instead of what I had worn to the funeral. "Could you take me back to Capsule Corp, Goku-san?"

Goku hesitated, and Chi-Chi intervened. "You should calm down, Trunks-kun," she said in a gentle but no-nonsense tone of voice. "It was just a dream, you know, and dreams don't come true..."

"No!" My power level shot back up, but stayed just below SSJ this time. "I sense that he's hurt...and for _real! Seriously!"_

Bewildered, Goten moved slowly away from me. Goku-san tilted his head, scowling abruptly.

"I think he's right," the Saiyajin said after a moment. "I can sense Vegeta's ki...but just _barely."_

Gohan frowned. "I can't...sense it at all."

"Do you see _now?"_ I demanded, panicking unreasonably and forgetting the past lectures about "respecting my elders" I had received. "Please teleport me back to CC!" My tears were coming faster. "Please..."

"Okay, I'll take you there," Goku said, obviously to calm me down. He came over to me and put a hand on my shoulder, but before we could go, both Gohan and Goten stepped forward.

"I want to go, too!" they exclaimed together. Then Gohan blushed, realizing how childish he was acting. "We can come, can't we, Tousan?" he asked more calmly.

At Goku's nod, the two boys stood with us.

"What about me?" Chi-Chi demanded before her husband had a chance to transmit us.

"Uh...I think you should stay here, Mom," Gohan offered feebly.

"Y-yeah, we'll see you a bit later!" Goku added before we disappeared.

****

~In the Mirai universe~

_"But _why_ are you leaving, Trunks-sensei?" the gray haired boy demands angrily. "We need you here! How are we supposed to rebuild the Earth without you?"_

_The teenager referred to as "Trunks" smiles sadly. "Like I've told you the past eight times you've asked me, Yuichi, there is unfinished business in the past I must attend to."_

_"Why can't I go with you?" Yuichi mutters sulkily, although it's obvious he knows the answer. "Zhane and Nawel and Kinaji are better at giving orders than me; they can handle things here!"_

_Trunks nods imperceptibly at the mention of his other students' names. "Because you're required here to help," he answers as he takes a capsule from his pocket. "Remember, some of the people here need to be retrained in technology, and you've far surpassed me in that area."_

_"I know, but..." For some reason, Yuichi's blue eyes flood with tears. "I'm...I'm scared."_

_Trunks turns__ toward the boy in surprise. "You? Scared? _You fought the androids without me once, and you're scared of staying here now that the world's safe?"__

_"But what if it isn't?" Yuichi retorts. "What if someone else comes up with another monster to terrorize us?"_

_"I made a promise to my mother," the purple haired teenager growls. "She wanted me to promise that I'd go back and help the senshi we knew in the alternate timeline." He grits his teeth. "I'm not going back on that promise, Yuichi."_

_The gray haired boy seems to understand. After all, he lost his family to the androids, too. "But Trunks-sensei?" he ventures as Trunks unencapsulizes his time machine._

_The light haired sword carrier wafted into the air. "Yes?" he asks impatiently._

_"Will we...see you again?"_

_Trunks considers__ this as he climbs inside the time machine. Then he shows his rare smile. "Hai," the teenager replies quietly. "But only when you really need my help." He raises a hand, forcing himself not to cry. "Goodbye, Yuichi."_

_The tears stream down Yuichi's young but scarred face as the time machine vanishes. He scrubs them away in annoyance before glancing up towards the sky._

_"Goodbye, Trunks-sensei," he whispers to no one._


	4. Back Again

3 Back Again

Kani: I've updated and revised. *cheers* Boy, listening to .hack//Liminality and .hack//SIGN music (on the Windows Media Player, that is) has proved to be _quite _inspirational. Hope you like. ^_^

**Majin****-Bulma**:****** All right! Like I just said, I updated! *is waiting for her hug***

`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*

"Papa!" was the first word out of Trunks' mouth as he, Goten, Gohan, and Goku appeared beside the fallen Saiyajin. The boy dropped to his knees beside his father, gingerly touching the ouji's hand. He yelped as Vegeta squeezed back unmercifully.

"D-damn boy..." The dark prince was having trouble breathing. "Why the hell'd you come back here?" Trunks grit his teeth, a stinging reply on his tongue, but Goku stopped him.

"We felt your ki drop and came back here to find out..." The Saiyajin frowned. "Who did this to you?"

Before Vegeta could reply, a strange-looking machine materialized before them (pretty random, ja?). A powerful ki emanated from within.

_Ne?__ Trunks spun swiftly around. __That chi...it's so familiar...but I don't recognize it...! His eyes widened and he almost gasped at what he saw._

A tall machine that looked somewhat like a spaceship rested on the CC mansion's sunlit lawn. For some reason, it looked old and was rust-corroded. But the crowning shock came when Trunks noticed the person exiting the device.

He was the absolute twin of Trunks, only taller and more muscular. He wore black, with the exception of his blue Capsule Corp jacket. Across his back hung a sword.

The other senshi had also noticed this. Gohan sucked in his breath. _"Mirai!"___

After capsulizing his time machine, Mirai Trunks turned and almost instantly saw them. He half-ran, half-flew to meet them, his eyes—so much like his younger counterpart—opened wide.

"What happened _here?!"___

****

It had been a week since Mirai Trunks had arrived and Vegeta had explained that he and Totoma had met, fought, and that Vegeta had lost. After being healed by a senzu bean that Gohan had conveniently remembered to being, the Saiyajin prince had been extremely pissed.

"It's been a long time, mini me," Mirai told his younger self. "I last saw you when you were only a few months old."

Trunks didn't reply at first, but frowned at the primitive rock patterns around them. _Very interesting.___

The two senshi sat together at the mouth of a cave that Trunks had always retreated before to whenever his parents' fights had gotten intense. He had chosen to talk to his future counterpart here because he didn't want his father or Goku interrupting. So, after eating a lunch worthy of two Saiyajins, Mirai had allowed Trunks to take him where they could talk.

Now he was wondering if this wasn't such a good idea.

"I'm almost nine years old now, and Goten-kun's turning seven in a few weeks," the younger hybrid said after a moment, attempting cheerfulness. "How old are you?"

"Just turned eighteen." Mirai unstrapped the sword from across his back. He decided not to beat around the bush any longer. "Why'd you want to talk to me, otouto?"

_Otouto__?__ Trunks glanced up at the teenager, who was sitting atop one of the many ledges that jutted out from the cave walls. Mirai was watching him intently, one leg drawn up to his chest and encircled by his clasped hands while the other dangled over the ledge. He raised his eyebrows slightly as he waited for an answer._

"Well," the half-Saiyajin began, not comfortable enough to call his future self "big brother." He swallowed hard. "I guess Father and Goku-san already told you...that Kaasan's..._gone." The boy lowered his gaze to the ground, his vision now blurry with unshed tears._

Mirai exhaled a long breath. "They told me," he said softly after a moment. "And I told them that our mother in _my dimension had been killed, also."_

Trunks raised angry blue eyes. "It was the androids, wasn't it?" he demanded. The purple haired teenager hesitated, then nodded slowly. "Somebody called a 'Henshin'...killed Mom," Trunks continued; his voice dropped. "Totoma Henshin." An inadvertent sob passed the troubled boy's lips.

Automatically, Mirai Trunks moved to comfort his chibi self. "Shh." He wrapped his arms protectively around the boy. "Father might have lost to Totoma now, but I know either he or Goku will win sooner or later...and avenge Mom's death."

"How is that supposed to make me feel better," Trunks muttered darkly, suppressing his tears, but he still sank into his future self's comforting grasp.

Mirai didn't reply, only concentrated on repressing his own urge to cry. But before he could offer any words of comfort, an oddly powerful and unfamiliar ki signature spiked through the air. Identical violet haired heads shot up in the direction of the high power.

Trunks got to his feet, hastily wiping away the tears in his eyes. "Wh-who's ki...is _that?"_

Without answering, the future warrior wafted to the cave mouth, his sharp eyes scanning the surrounding landscape. "I don't know," he said after a moment. "But whatever it is, it's coming this way."

****

"Hyah!" Goku launched a kick, the most powerful one he could muster at 400G. Vegeta was prepared to defend, but the taller Saiyajin suddenly froze in midair. Before the dark ouji could demand an explanation, Goku spoke.

"Did...you feel that, Vegeta?" he panted as he dropped to the ground. "That huge..._ki?"___

The diminutive prince scowled deeply, cocking his head to one side. After a moment he winced. "Shit!" he growled. "That's my brother's chi!"

Goku nodded. "And it feels like he's headed for Trunks and Mirai."

Needless to say, the two senshi were out of the GR and in the sky faster than supersonic jets could break the sound barrier.

****

"It's getting closer..." Mirai clenched a fist around the hilt of his sword. "Stay back."

In a middle stance, the younger one nodded and miniscule drops of sweat slipping down his face. Just then, Vegeta and Goku appeared, trailing brilliant streaks of orange ki. In SSJ mode, they landed before the two versions of Trunks.

Mirai exhaled a sigh of measured relief. "So you've come," he breathed. "Thank Kami-sama."

"Where is he?" Vegeta demanded, gloved fists tightly clenched. Mirai pointed towards the sun.

"Coming in from the east." He stated the obvious, but no one cared at the moment.

"Wh-what're we going to do...when he comes?" Trunks asked tentatively, slightly embarrassed at how scared he was. After all, this was a ki signature that far surpassed even SSJ3, but no one dared to say it.

Mirai burst into SSJ. "Fight," he said quietly. "What else?"

"Enough with the small talk," Vegeta interrupted. "He's here."

It was a truly amazing sight. A black aura of ki appeared, its dark color stark against the morning sky. Within it flew a man. And as he landed, the others got their first—but certainly _not_ last—look at their new enemy.

Like his brother, Totoma Henshin was a young Henshin by Saiyajin standards, but old when compared to Earth's. He was about Vegeta's height, with piercing black eyes. His black hair, which hung to his shoulders, sported a spiked red stripe down its center from his forehead to the nape of his neck. He wore a sleeveless red shirt, black gi pants, and black gloves. Topped with a long black trench, stud earrings, and boots with spiked soles, Totoma looked to be a punk.

The only visible sign of his dissimilarity to humans was the brown tail coiled tightly around his waist.

"Well, Vegeta," Totoma said as his eyes flicked over his older brother, "You heal hell of a lot faster than I gave you credit for." Vegeta didn't reply.

"Who are you and what do you want?" Goku demanded.

For the first time, the Henshin seemed to notice the others. He regarded the Saiyajins with indifference. "Who are these, oniisama?" he asked, nonchalantly. "Your allies since you've come to Chikyuu?" No response. Totoma smirked. "And who's that?" he added, pointing at the shortest fighter. "Your _son?"__ He snorted. "I thought you had better taste, oniisama, than to integrate with _ningen___."_

Something within the Saiyajin no Ouji seemed to snap. He flared into SSJ2. "Be quiet," he hissed. "Today...I will kill you...for what you did to my mate."

"And isn't that what you said right before I pummeled you last week." Totoma rolled his eyes. "Whatever you say, oniisama." He crossed his arms. "Whatever you say."

"All of you, listen!" Vegeta turned halfway to face the other Saiyajins. "I'm fighting him alone. Remember the warrior's code and don't you dare interfere, or there will be hell to pay!"

"But—" Goku was silenced by the shorter one's onyx glare. Without another word, he powered down to his normal state. Mirai followed suit, but they both stayed in fighting stances.

Releasing a fierce kiai (A/N: karate yell, for those of you who don't know martial arts), Vegeta flashed towards his younger brother. Totoma vanished, but appeared above the prince a split second later. Thinking fast, the spiky haired warrior threw himself down, kicking both legs for the Henshin's exposed chest. This time, Totoma dodged to one side. His fist came up, and a crushing hook punch caught Vegeta in the chest. The force of his steel blow sent the prince smashing into the side of a nearby hill.

Trunks clenched his fists. "N-no..."

Chuckling, the red and black haired Henshin floated over to the crater where the ouji had landed. Vegeta slowly sat up, clutching his chest as blood trickled from his mouth.

"Damn...you..." he panted.

Totoma shifted into a fighting stance. "You're out of breath already, oniisama? Kami-sama, all I did was hit you _once."_

"Kuh!" The dark prince charged again, releasing a ki blast as he flew. Clasping his hands together with the index fingers pointing upward (like Tenshinhan in Dragonball), Totoma repelled the attack.

Watching the battle that seemed to be evenly matched, Mirai, Goku, and Trunks figured that, since Vegeta had gotten stronger after his defeat from Totoma, he wouldn't have a problem beating him. But after seeing how the Saiyajin prince couldn't land one blow, while his younger brother landed several, they immediately prepared for the worst.

Deflecting each of his older brother's attempted punches and kicks, the dark haired Henshin thrust out a fist of his own. Vegeta caught it, and the force from their contact threw the two apart—Vegeta higher in the sky, and Totoma towards the ground.

The SSJ2 ouji concentrated a large amount of his chi in his upraised hands, clenching his teeth and muttering hasty prayers to Dende above. "This is the last thing I've got..." With desperation, Vegeta launched his attack: a small sun seemingly sprouted from his hands. "Final Flash!"

Trunks was starting to feel better as he saw his father's favorite move blasting towards Totoma. But his sense of relief dissipated when the Henshin raised two fingers.

"Deflection," he said calmly. The senshi watched in astonishment as the Final Flash bounced from his hand and sped back to Vegeta. The prince was frozen, too astonished to dodge.

"Otousama!" Trunks screamed as the energy burst consumed his father's body.

"This, my dear brother, is the _finishing attack!" _Young Totoma grit his teeth. "Bleeding Tornado!" There was a sickening crunch of bone as the crimson blast of energy slammed into Vegeta, who was rapidly sinking from the sky.

"Father!" Without thinking, Trunks quickly powered up to SSJ2 and blasted to where Vegeta had fallen. "Otousama, are you all right?!" But before he reached the Saiyajin, Totoma Henshin materialized before him. "Wh-what?!"

Tears were jerked from the violet haired boy's eyes as Totoma thrust his fist into his stomach. Trunks doubled over, unable to think from the pain electrifying his brain. He felt strong hands yanking him off-balance, and another shock of agony exploded within, this time from his back.

Everything went black.

When Vegeta regained consciousness, the others were clustered around him, grim expressions on their faces. The black haired prince tried to raise a hand to his head, but flinched as the broken arm bone showed through his spandex sleeve.

"What happened?" he tried to say, but merely managed to groan. His jaw was sore, but thankfully not broken.

Goku knelt beside him. "Careful, Vegeta," he said cautiously. "You shouldn't try to move. Mirai went to get Dende from the Lookout."

"Hmph!" The prince shut his eyes. "Wh...where's the brat?"

Goku and Gohan exchanged a questioning glance. Gohan nodded.

"Totoma Henshin...he took him," the teenager said softly.


End file.
